The British soldier went to war in August 1914 wearing the 1902 Pattern Service Dress tunic and trousers. This was a thick woolen tunic, died khaki green (not the brown khaki of WW2 battledress fame). There were two breast pockets for personal items and the soldier's AB64 Pay Book, two smaller pockets for other items, and an internal pocket sewn under the right flap of the lower tunic where the First Field Dressing was kept. Rifle patches were sewn above the breast pockets, to prevent wear from the webbing equipment and rifle. Shoulder straps were sewn on and fastened with brass buttons, with enough space for a brass regimental shoulder title. Rank was sewn onto the upper tunic sleeves, while trade badges and Long Service and Good Conduct stripes were placed on the lower sleeves.

A stiffened peak cap was worn, made of the same material, with a leather strap, brass fitting and secured with two small brass buttons. The stiffener was often removed on active service, during the Winter of 1914/15.

Puttees were worn round the ankles, and B5 ammunition boots with hobnail soles on the feet. Normally black, they were made of reversed hide and had steel toe-caps, and a steel plate on the heel.

PERSONAL EQUIPMENT

The 1908 Pattern webbing equipment was largely made by the Mills Equipment Company (marked 'M. E. Co' on the webbing itself). It comprised a wide belt, left and right ammunition pouches which held 75 rounds each, left and right braces, a bayonet frog and attachment for the entrenching tool handle, an entrenching tool head in web cover, water bottle carrier, small haversack and large pack. A mess tin was worn attached to one of the packs, and was contained inside a cloth buff-coloured khaki cover. Inside the haversack were personal items, knife, fork and spoon set, housewife, washing and shaving kit, and when on Active Service, unused portions of the daily ration. The large pack could sometimes be used to house some of these items, but was normally kept for carrying the soldier's Greatcoat and/or blanket.

A full set of 1908 webbing could weight 70lbs (32kg), but if worn correctly would distribute the load evenly. It was comfortable to wear, easy to maintain and adapt, and while on the march could be worn with the main belt undone while still evenly distributing the weight.

WEAPONS

The main rifle carried by British soldiers in 1914 was the Short Magazine Lee Enfield (SMLE). Introduced in 1903, the .303 inch calibre weapon had a magazine of ten rounds. While it packed a heavy recoil when fired, regular soldiers before the war were trained to fire a minimum of fifteen aimed rounds per minute, and be able to hit a target every time. This rate of fire was well above any other army in the world, and most soldiers were also trained to engage targets at distances up to 1000 yards. The SMLE had a high stopping power, being able to penetrate eighteen inches of oak, thirty-six inches of sandbags and two house bricks at up to 200 yards range.

For close quarter fighting, an seventeen inch 1907 Pattern Wilkinson Sword bayonet was attached to the end of the rifle, and soldiers were trained in bayonet fighting. While the rifle could be fired with the bayonet attached, it reduced the accuracy.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum